Trusting A Lie
by Modus Operandi
Summary: When a murderer escapes and wants revenge on Nick what will he do how does it affect the team?G/S,C/W,N/OC,GR/OC
1. Default Chapter

A/N: This is my first fan fic ever I've written stories before but I don't let people read them so please review and let me know what you think I wont be offended if it's bad and thanks to Lynndy for editing and spacing the chapters  
  
Disclaimers: I don't own any characters except for the o/c's .  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 1  
  
" Strike 1", Called Grissom who was the umpire for the company softball game. "Strike 2", he called again when the ball whizzed past Nick again. "Hit a home run Nick we need it."  
  
"No problem Griss its in the bag." he called over his shoulder.  
  
The entire graveyard shift was in the dugout cheering for him. "Come on Nick you can do it hit home!" His girlfriend Lorelai from the dayshift who was pitching however yelled, "This is your last chance Nick you'll never make it!"  
  
"We'll just see about that", he muttered as the ball came flying up to him. Then, "WHAM!" The ball was propelled in the opposite direction and over the fence. Everyone on graveyard was screaming but the noise was dulled when Nick started to run.1st base, 2nd, 3rd,and "HOME RUN!", Grissom shouted over the screaming right as Nick hit 4th base and fell right on his butt. The game was over that was all the night shift needed to win and everyone on that team was very happy. They ran out of the dugout and lifted Nick up on their shoulders.  
  
Back in the break room that night Sara and Lorelai sat talking. They where the only ones there since they had both come in early." That was a great game you played but it's to bad I guess it just wasn't good enough," Sara joked.  
  
"Yeah well I guess it comes from having Ecklie as the team captain.", she said grinning.  
  
"Yeah, I'm glad he's not my supervisor the asshole drives me crazy enough as it is." "You have no idea how horrible it is.", Lorelai replied.  
  
"Hey what's that noise?", Sara could hear a distinct ticking noise. "I don't know let's go see if Grissom is back we can ask him." They got up and left the room only to see that the hall that lead to the exit was on fire.  
  
"Hurry get the fire extinguisher!" Sara yelled but Lorelai had already run to get it. She came back and practically emptied the fire extinguisher, which had no effect at all.  
  
"It's no use lets try and get out of here before it spreads any more!" Sara yelled. Knowing that with each passing second death inched closer they ran not entirely knowing where they where going. Sara was trying to remember where the emergency exit was but was surprised to find that she had led them there subconsciously but quickly changed attitude when she saw that it was blocked by fire also. "Shit!"  
  
"Run it's all over the place!" Lorelai screamed and sped even faster down the hall with Sara in tow. "Wait there's the secret exit remember."  
  
"Lets go," was all Lorelai said. The secret exist was only known to those that worked there in case someone invaded the lab and was located in the DNA lab. By now they could hear the sirens of the fire trucks as they skidded into the parking lot. When they got to the emergency exit hope seemed to dwindle away when they realized there were sets of chains locked to the door.  
  
All Sara could think about was if she would ever see Grissom again which seemed strange, but then she realized 'I'm in love with him.' Shocked by this discovery she knew she couldn't give up he had to know. She looked around the room for any means of escape and felt stupid when her eyes lay upon the window. "Lorelai we can get out through the window, come on!"  
  
"Wait what if there's someone else stuck in here?" Lorelai asked.  
  
Sara paused she hadn't thought about that. "Damn it your right we'll have to check." She couldn't live with herself if she just left someone there to die. They ran down the hall screaming, "Is anyone here?!"  
  
They heard a distinct yell coming from the A/V lab and ran to find Archie cornered by the fire. "Archie!"  
  
"Help!!" he yelled desperately.  
  
"There's no way we can put that out you'll have to run through!" Sara yelled.  
  
"What are you crazy?" He screamed.  
  
"No I have an idea throw your coat over it right before you go through." She yelled back.  
  
"What if it doesn't work?"  
  
"You don't have much of a choice hurry it's spreading!" He did what she said and jumped through.  
  
"Ahhhhh!!!" He screamed his arm was on fire.  
  
"Shit!" Lorelai yelled as Sara tried to snuff it out.  
  
Once the fire on his arm was out Sara asked him if there was anyone else in the building that he knew of.  
  
"No I saw the login sheet I just came in right before the fire." He managed between groans of pain.  
  
"Alright lets go" and they bore him to the nearest window.  
  
"Give me a boost." Sara said just before Lorelai pushed her up to the window. She tried to break it with her gun but only managed to scratch it. Then unable to bear the weight any longer Lorelai collapsed bringing them both down with a thud. Sara thought she must have hit her head because the world went black and soon she couldn't hear anything and ceased to think. 


	2. Ch2

Chapter 2  
  
When Sara woke up she expected to see her own bedroom with her picture of her and Grissom on the dresser illuminated by the light filtering through the window. Her first clue that she wasn't in her bedroom was the strong smell of bleach and the noises of a lot of people out in the hall.  
  
She opened her eyes to see Grissom asleep with his head on the edge of her bed holding her hand. She watched him for a moment she couldn't quite remember what had put her here, for she realized right away she was at the hospital.  
  
She was overwhelmed by the comfort of his touch, then it hit her it all came flooding back and she realized now what a pounding headache she had. She remembered her feelings for Grissom and shifted a little suddenly nervous. The movement woke Grissom immediately and he jerked up pulling his hand away.  
  
"Hey how ya feeling?" he asked. She couldn't help but notice he was a bit nervous having been caught with her hand in his, and smiled.  
  
"I feel fine, but could you tell me what happened after I blacked out?"  
  
"Yes of course. When the fire men finally found a way in they found you unconscious with Lorelai and Archie."  
  
"How are they?" She asked anxiously.  
  
"Well when we found you were all unconscious Archie had passed out from the pain of his burn and the smoked had made Lorelai pass out you however had hit your head on the table beside the window you suffered a mild concussion. Archie's burns were severe but he'll be fine given time and Lorelai appears to have suffered no injuries." He finished.  
  
She was no longer anxious but now curious. "What caused the fire?"She asked more calm now than before.  
  
He hesitated he knew he would have to tell her sooner or later but faced with it now he didn't know if he could.  
  
"What's wrong you can tell me." Sara said seeing his indecision.  
  
"Well, you see at the base of the two exits we found fire bombs." at this he looked up at her wondering how she would take this.  
  
"Fire bombs?" she asked it didn't appear to have sunken in.  
  
"Yes they're bombs set to ignite at a given time." It seemed then to hit her that someone had tried to kill them. "Wh..who would do that?" she stammered.  
  
"We don't know."  
  
Her face blanked and she looked perfectly normal even though he knew she was scared. "Who has the case?"  
  
"We do."  
  
That was the only good thing that had happened that night it seemed.  
  
"Well what are you doing here then you should be investigating the case!" She wasn't mad but she didn't think it was very Grissom like.  
  
"I know I wanted to be here when you woke up," he said rather hesitantly.  
  
She smiled a genuine smile that showed the gap in her teeth, which made Grissom's heart melt.  
  
She was shocked but happy at the statement but then quickly said. "That's really sweet Gil but I'm awake now you should go."  
  
She threw him another smiled that was slightly forced she didn't want him to leave but she knew she had to make him.  
  
"Ok I'll tell the doctor your awake. Bye."  
  
"Bye" he left the room the use of his first name had thrown him off, the familiarity of it coming from her.  
  
When he got back to the lab he noticed Sara, Lorelai and, Archie's Tahoe's in the parking lot and he became angry. Why did this happen. Who would do this to Sara my Sara Sidle, and Archie and Lorelai for that matter. "I swear I'll catch you whoever you are." he whispered to himself then got out of his Tahoe and headed towards the building.  
  
"Hey Nicky what do we got?" the building was damaged pretty bad around the entrances but other than what evidence was in the A/V lab no cases were compromised.  
  
"Well I'm sure you guessed there'd be no prints on the bombs the fire burnt them all away if there ever was any." "We did find this note though no prints and its all clippings no handwriting." Nick said. He sounded rather grim instead of his usual annoyingly chipper self. He handed Grissom the note it read:  
  
I'm back Nick I told you I would be I guess you didn't listen. I'll make you pay for what you did I'm going to kill everyone you work with every one of your friends and family then I'm going to kill you. This is only the beginning.  
  
Now Grissom knew why Nick was so grim and pale he had thought it was because of what had happened but obviously he was wrong. "Nick are you ok?" Grissom asked looking up there seemed to be no color in his face at all.  
  
"No" he said simply.  
  
"Let's go sit down Nick." He merely nodded his head.  
  
Grissom led him to the couch in the break room, which had just barely been saved, from the fire.  
  
"What am I gonna do Grissom?" His Texas accent stood out more than usual he was counting on Grissom to know what to do he looked up to him and if anyone knew he would. "  
  
Well first of all", he said softly, "you can't work this case."  
  
Nick hadn't expected this and kicked himself for it he knew Grissom was right but he had a hard time coming to terms with it. He slowly nodded his head.  
  
Grissom continued, "second you need a guard it's obvious who ever did this has it in for you."  
  
At this he couldn't contain it any longer, "Me what about you and Lorelai my parents Sara, Archie and everyone I know what about them huh we cant possibly protect everyone!"  
  
"Nick calm down we can place guard on your family coworkers, any one else you think is being threatened."  
  
"I know but its not enough I guess nothing will be until this over." he said and sighed at that last comment.  
  
At that moment Patrick from dayshift walked in. Patrick was new and he reminded Nick of someone he just couldn't place his finger on who. He liked him though; he was kind of cheery and friendly nothing not to like except he was acted weird sometimes.  
  
"Hey Pat what are you doing here?" Nick asked still looking rather pale.  
  
"Hey Nick you look horrible are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah I'll be fine what are you doing here this is a crime scene you know that."  
  
"I know but I wanted the full story no one would tell me how Sara, Lorelai, and Archie are."  
  
"They 'll be fine you can go visit them at the hospital if you want but you know we can't give you information on the case sorry Pat." Grissom answered for Nick seeing he didn't feel like answering questions right now.  
  
"Alright I'll go see them." Patrick said and left.  
  
"Nick I'm gonna call Brass and have a guard sent to your place then I'm gonna take you home okay?"  
  
"Yeah but have one to go back with you to just in case he did say I would die last."  
  
"I'm not very worried about me Nick you shouldn't be either just try to sleep when you get home."  
  
"Ok." he didn't feel like arguing. 


	3. Ch3

A/N: I thought I should introduce myself. My name is Terry and I'm glad you are enjoying my first fan fiction.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Grissom had dropped Nick off at his house who was asleep before his head hit the pillow and tipped his hat to the guard.  
  
On the way home Grissom couldn't help but think the car behind him was following but decided he was being paranoid. He couldn't shake the feeling so 'better safe than sorry' he started taking sharp turns going in a wide circle around the strip. After ten minutes of this he was sure he was being followed so he got on the highway so that the person couldn't do anything then called Brass.  
  
"Hey Brass I got someone following me. There's a small chance it's the perp."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Yeah we'll want to question him but you better hurry."  
  
"Alright where are you?"  
  
"Just south of Main Street hurry."  
  
Just as Grissom clicked off the light turned green. He had to stay in the same area so he pulled into a crowded gas station. Sure as day the car pulled up behind him pretending to waiting for his turn at the gas tank.  
  
Grissom jump so high when the phone rang his head hit the top of the car "owww."  
  
"Hello." he said grumpier than he had intended.  
  
"Hey its Brass we can't get to you there's an accident on the road we need to take just drive around till it clears and I'll call when I can come to get your location okay?"  
  
"Yeah alright bye." he could feel the bump rising on his head as he drove out of the gas station.'Why am I trying to catch this guy what am I going to hold him on there's no way to link him to the crime I'll just lose him if it's the perp he'll be back.'  
  
So he tried to lose him but it wasn't working. Then all the sudden the car came speeding towards Grissoms car crashing into it. Grissom flew forward hitting his head.  
  
"Damn airbags." he mumbled almost losing consciousness but then he though of Sara and remembered that if he passed out he would surely be killed or kidnapped and slammed a foot on the brakes but the car was right behind gaining on him. The car hit him again making his wheels spin out of control. When he looked up the last thing he saw was the wall coming towards him then nothing. 


	4. Ch4

A/N: Thanks for all of your reviews it really makes me happy that you like my story.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Grissom thought he could hear voices something about a punctured lung and concussion. He thought he could hear a siren to but he couldn't be sure and slipped back into unconsciousness again.  
  
Sara's cell phone was ringing but she didn't feel like answering it the pain medication made her drowsy. "Hello?" She said half awake.  
  
She heard Warrick's voice on the other line. "Sara I got bad news it's about Grissom."  
  
She sat up straight she wasn't drowsy anymore. "What is it?" she asked panic starting to edge her voice.  
  
"He was in an accident. Apparently he called Brass saying someone was following him. Brass couldn't get there and he ran him right into a wall. Sara it's a mess."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Sara you still there?"  
  
"Is he okay?"  
  
"I don't know he's being taken to the hospital right now I won't know much till then."  
  
"The hospital I'm at?" Sara asked.  
  
"Yeah you'll probably get more out of the doctor than I will, look I gotta go. I just wanted to let you know."  
  
"Okay bye Warrick." Sara sounded like she was in some kind of trance.  
  
"Bye." Sara knew it was the same person that had set fire to the lab and she was starting to get scared. When she was in the fire she had sworn to tell Grissom how she felt but then when the danger of not being able to passed she couldn't bring herself to do it. Now that danger was back only this it wasn't her life that was in danger it was Grissom's.  
  
Vaguely she wondered if Grissom had felt this way when she was in the fire. 'Don't be stupid Sara he doesn't think of you that way.' She was chastising herself. 'You'll tell him you love him but don't expect anything in return just get the hell out of there if he doesn't.' 'God please let him be okay.' She thought as a single tear escaped her closed eyes.  
  
That's how the doctor found her when he came to check up on her head laid back one streak of wetness on her right cheek eyes closed.  
  
"Sara what's wrong?" He asked.  
  
She nearly fell out of the bed he scared her so bad. "Dr.Chandler has a patient named Gil Grissom been admitted yet?"  
  
"Yes as a matter of fact I just got through seeing him, why?"  
  
"He's a friend of mine how is he?" she looked like she'd implode if he didn't tell her.  
  
"Sara there was a lot of internal bleeding, he broke some ribs and he has a punctured lung. We lost him on the operating table a few times but we think he's in the clear." he finished.  
  
Sara let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. "Can I go see him?" She asked hopefully.  
  
"Well right now he's being moved to his room but I need to give you a quick check up and by then they should be through and you can see him."  
  
"Thank you doctor."  
  
Warrick had just hung up the phone when Catherine walked up. "Hey Warrick you wanna ride to the hospital?"  
  
"Yeah let's go."  
  
Halfway there and no one had said a word yet. They could both feel the tension.  
  
"Wonder what Nick is thinking." Warrick said he didn't think he could take the silence any more.  
  
"I don't know but it's safe to say he took it pretty hard you heard when he was yelling at Grissom." Catherine replied.  
  
"Yeah no kidding hope he's okay."  
  
More silence.  
  
"Look about the thing at the softball game I." Warrick couldn't finish he couldn't lie to her.  
  
Just yesterday when Nick had made the home run everyone had been so excited and in the heat of the moment they had kissed. It was so short but surprisingly meaningful. They had just stood there staring at each other in disbelief then they had blushed and pretended it hadn't happened. No one else had seen them. He couldn't pretend any more he couldn't ignore his feelings.  
  
"Catherine I really like you a lot and I think we should take this relationship a little farther." Warrick finally managed.  
  
Catherine was stunned for a moment then she said "Me too I...Maybe we should wait a little though with everything that's going on. I don't think it's really appropriate right now. Once this is all over maybe we can go on an official date." She was so happy but she didn't really feel like waiting but she knew it would hurt the relationship if they started under these circumstances.  
  
"I agree let's wait a little while." He said. He was happy too. He had finally told her and he would be with her soon. It would be worth the wait.  
  
"But first..." he leaned over as they stopped at a red light and gave her a kiss that left her breathless and they drove in a comfortable silence the rest of the way. 


	5. Ch 5

A/N: After much thought I decided that there is going to be a character death at some point in the story but it's not going to be a main character it's going to be someone that appears on the show frequently just thought I should warn you lol thanks again for the reviews.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Nick was still asleep when the doorbell rang. It took a couple of times to wake him up and whoever was out there was getting impatient and the bell was going 90 miles per minute.  
  
"Alright I'm coming!" he yelled stumbling out of bed.  
  
When he opened the door Greg was still pushing the bell. The last time Nick saw him was at the softball game he was jumping on the roof of the dugout screaming "HOME RUN!!!" over and over right before he fell off.  
  
"Greg what are you doing?" Nick asked annoyed and still sleepy.  
  
"Oh sorry I just came to check up on you." He said sheepishly.  
  
After a couple minutes of daggers from Nick who was wearing nothing but sweatpants and Greg shuffling his feet. "So can I come in?" Greg asked looking up.  
  
"Yeah sure." Nick said stepping aside. He wasn't so annoyed anymore and the note filtered back into his mind. Nick threw on a t-shirt and plopped on the couch while Greg just stood there uncomfortably.  
  
"You going to sit down and tell me what you want?"  
  
"I told you I just wanted to check up on you I heard about the uh note." He said sitting down.  
  
"I'm fine but thanks." Greg looked around the room. He'd never been in Nicks house before. There were what seemed like thousands of pictures of his parents, sisters, brother, some of rest of the team, and some people Greg had never seen. Whoever wrote that note had his work cut out for him.  
  
Then a thought occurred to him, "Hey wasn't there supposed to be a guard at your door?"  
  
"Yeah wasn't there?"  
  
"Umm no." Nick looked around the room like someone would jump out of hiding any second.  
  
'Click' they both turned to see a gun trained on them. The person attached to gun had on a mask on so they couldn't tell who it was.  
  
"Cops are so stupid, didn't even hear me coming." He said and they could practically hear the sneer in his voice.  
  
"What do you want?" Nick asked, Greg was eyeing the gun on the table. 'If only I could reach it' 'Okay on three jump and grab it, one, two, two and a half. "THREE!" he shouted out loud and grabbed for the gun.  
  
He wasn't sure what happened after that he knew shots had been fired but he didn't know from whom or where they had hit either. He didn't think he was shot or at least didn't feel it.  
  
'Maybe I'm dead' he thought but quickly decided against it when he felt the sharp pain in his arm. He opened his eyes and saw that he had indeed been shot and that the gunman had been too. Neither had been fatal and Nick was wrestling with the man for the gun. The gunman however soon overpowered Nick and the gun was pointing towards Nick's abdomen. "Guess this is it Nick." He said before firing.  
  
A/N: Sorry this chapter was so short I didn't plan on it I just couldn't pass up this perfect cliffhanger opportunity lol. 


	6. Ch 6

A/N: I'm sorry it took me so long to write this chapter but I'm at another computer that's in the middle of the living room, my brother kept hanging over my shoulder trying read the ch and alot of other distractions including school. Thanks to Peggie for pointing out that ch 1 had been accidentally replaced by ch 3 I'm currently trying to fix that.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Lorelai was just pulling up into Nick's driveway when she heard the shots. Faster than lighting she dialed the police.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Yes there's been gun shots at 45 south St."  
  
"Okay were on our way."  
  
Hanging up she pulled out her gun and got out of her car careful not to make any noise. When she peered into the window she was horrified by what she saw. Nick was sprawled out on the floor bleeding from his shoulder apparently passed out while the gunman was binding Greg.  
  
Greg had heard what the man was saying to Nick even though he was about to pass out from the pain in his arm. He forced himself to jump up at the gun pushing it upwards shooting Nick's shoulder instead of his abdomen; the shot not fatal.  
  
Greg had been unable to stay awake any longer and was totally unconscious as the gunman bound together his wrists and carried him to the Truck. Before he could return for Nick however the police arrived and he drove off.  
  
Lorelai had silently entered the house and was watching as Greg was taken from the room. 'Soon as I get a clear shot your deadmeat.' She was thinking.  
  
The second he had walked outside with Greg she ran to Nick. He didn't appear to have lost a lot of blood but it was still enough. She ran out the back to see if she could catch him before he left with Greg.  
  
She dialed Jessica's number on her cell phone. Her and Greg had been going out for a couple a months. Jessica was teacher at the elementary school. Greg's niece had dragged him to open house when her parents couldn't take her and that's when he had met her and he hadn't talked about much of anything else since.  
  
"Jessica speaking" She answered the phone.  
  
"Hey Jesse it's Lorelai I need you to sit down before I tell you this."  
  
"Okay I'm sitting what's wrong?"  
  
"It's Greg he's been kidnapped." there was a long silence on the other end.  
  
"Jessica? He was at Nicks when it happened Nicks been shot." she waited for an answer.  
  
"I'm on my way." she said and hung up before Lorelai could even reply.  
  
Sara walked into Grissom's hospital room afraid of what she might see. He was laying there hooked up to so many machines to help him breath and lord only knows what else.  
  
It broke her heart to see him like that and she wanted nothing more than to run. Run away from here away from this nightmare she had found herself in. She pushed away the urge and sat down in the chair by his bed.  
  
"Hey Griss." she said on the verge of tears. She took his hand in hers just as he had only a few hours ago.  
  
"Grissom I need you to know how..." "That when I was in that fire all I could think about was you that I...that I love you." She said as Grissom took a rasping breath.  
  
It looked so painful she couldn't bear it any longer and ran out of the room. She couldn't run much further than the door due to her injuries but she wasn't about to stop entirely until she ran into Warrick and Catherine. She tried to wipe away the tears but she wasn't fast enough.  
  
"Sara what's wrong?" Catherine asked running up to her. Sara was out of breath from the run even though it was so short.  
  
"I'm fine don't worry go see Grissom." she said but Catherine couldn't help but notice that she never looked into her eyes. She knew she was lying but it was no use arguing.  
  
"Okay I'll just walk you to your room I hasn't seen you awake since the fire." She said walking with Sara and gave Warrick a look that plainly said 'she's lying I'll be back later.' Warrick just turned and walked towards Grissom's room.  
  
When they where back in Sara's hospital room Catherine asked no nonsense "Now stop lying tell me what's up."  
  
"I already told you I'm fine." she said defensively  
  
"Sara I know that's not true and so do you now spill."  
  
"I don't know I just couldn't take it seeing..."  
  
"What?" Catherine probed.  
  
"He looked so ...so like he was just near death and I..."  
  
"You love him." Catherine said softly.  
  
"Yes and he was in so much pain." Sara hardly seemed to be talking to Catherine any more.  
  
Just then Warrick popped in urgency written all over his face.  
  
"Lorelai just called Nick's been shot."  
  
"Oh my god" Sara breathed.  
  
Catherine turned to Sara and said really fast "Sara I'll call you when I get the details but I gotta go you gonna be okay."  
  
Sara just sat there after they left wondering if it really was a nightmare.  
  
When Jessica got to Nick's place Nick had already been loaded into the ambulance and was on his way to the hospital. She walked into the kitchen but was stopped by Lorelai before she could enter the living room where the attack had taken place.  
  
"Jessica you can't go in there let's go talk outside." Lorelai said ushering her out.  
  
Once Nick had been removed she shooed out all the paramedics and policemen so as not to further contaminate the scene.  
  
She planned on leaving to join Nick at the hospital as soon as Warrick and Catherine arrived.  
  
Sitting on the porch she filled Jessica in on everything. By the time she finished Jessica was crying and Lorelai was having trouble not crying herself.  
  
"We'll find him I promise."  
  
Jessica seemed to be calming down when Warrick and Catherine arrived.  
  
"I'm going to see Nick you guy's process okay?" Lorelai asked.  
  
"You don't worry we can take it from here."  
  
Lorelai was just getting in her car when Jessica came running up. "Wait I'm coming with you!" she jumped in the car and didn't bother to explain it.  
  
It wasn't necessary. She needed to be somewhere she couldn't just wait for Greg to show up it wasn't gonna happen and there wasn't anything else for her to do. 


	7. Ch7

A/N: Sorry it took me for ever to post but I had a serious case of writers block I hope you didn't forget about me I didn't get any reviews for chapter 6 please review it helps the writing process a lot. The character Lynndy (trace-element) is inspired by my aunt who is also my best friend and beta and the character Terry Lynn was inspired by me it's my name. Loads of thanks to Lynndy (trace-element) for helping me with some ideas.  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Warrick and Catherine had been processing Nick's house for at least thirty minutes and had come up with was a hair some fibers and three bullets; all but 2 from different guns. They had also found Nick's gun.  
  
"I don't like this how did the shooter get in?" Warrick said looking around.  
  
"I'm just as stumped as you sweetheart. "Catherine said laying a hand on his shoulder.  
  
It had been a rough night on all of them. They where still waiting on an update as to how Nick was and wondered why Lorelai hadn't called yet. Warrick could feel cold air hitting his face and looked over at the closet door taking note that it was slightly ajar. He walked up to it and pushed it open. It looked like a very normal closet to him but Catherine walked up and immediately spotted something.  
  
"Over here on the wall there's a seam like a door or something."  
  
He kneeled down and banged his fist on the back wall of the closet. The tiny door swung open slowly making a squeaking sound.  
  
"Creepy." Catherine said walking up behind him. The door didn't lead anywhere special all they saw was Nick's the side of the neighbor's house.  
  
"Well now we know how he got in."  
  
"Yeah must've made it himself while Nick was at work." Warrick finished.  
  
"It makes you wonder how long this guy's been watching him; or if he's been watching us."  
  
They both gave each other a slightly nervous glance at that last statement.  
  
"What if he's out there right now?" Warrick asked.  
  
"We've had people after us before this one isn't any different." She stated.  
  
"It is different; we have three CSI's and Archie in the hospital and we have no idea where Greg is or if he's even still alive!" Warrick was about to snap under the pressure.  
  
She placed her hands on his shoulders, "Your right it is different, but we can't lose our heads we owe all them that." "Ok.Okay so lets process this scene."  
  
Greg's vision was just returning to him. The searing pain in his arm dashed any hopes that this was a very bizarre dream. As his head began to clear he realized that his arm had been doctored and vaguely wondered why his attacker hadn't just killed him.  
  
He heard a door creak open and closed then heard the voice, "I see your awake."  
  
"Don't get any ideas in your head that I'm going to let you live; I'm just using you as bait and as soon as I have Nick your both dead."  
  
Greg's mind had become painfully clear and though his words were slightly slurred by the pain his sentences were still coherent and meaningful, "Why do you hate Nick so much?"  
  
"Well you see he is the reason I got the death penalty."  
  
"Now I know what you're thinking but I escaped before my sentence was carried out."  
  
"Quite nagging me!" he screamed completely out of the blue.  
  
"I didn't say anything." Greg said his vision blurring from the pain that scream sent through his pounding head.  
  
"Not you, idiot."  
  
"You see I have schizophrenia; I have another voice inside my head."  
  
"It's a woman and when she takes over she forces me to wear her clothes which also makes me a transvestite. I hate it when she does that but at least she hates Nick too. And last year the prison psychologist diagnosed me as a pyromaniac, but I could have told them that I've always had a fascination for fire."  
  
"Now tell me Greg what does that make me?" he asked with mock seriousness.  
  
"One fucked up son-of-a-bitch." Greg replied dryly.  
  
"No", he said coming around so that Greg could see him.  
  
"That makes me someone you really don't wanna mess with." Greg's eyes widened in horror, "Patrick?"  
  
He couldn't believe it he had actually become friends with that sick bastard. It was the new CSI 1.  
  
"Now when you interfere with my revenge you have to already guess that your gonna suffer for it big time. You are going to die a very painful death Sanders."  
  
"You'll never win." Greg said fighting unconsciousness. But Patrick merely laughed and left him there to suffer.  
  
Patrick or currently Patricia walked into the hospital and asked the head nurse Lynndy who was currently talking to her best friend and runner up head nurse Terry Lynn where Nick's room was.  
  
Patricia wasn't going to kill Nick it wasn't her style but she wanted to make damn sure that Nick knew Patrick would.  
  
"I'm sorry ma'am but no visitors are allowed for the time being." She said and smiled.  
  
She was inwardly thinking that this was the ugliest woman she had ever seen and that if she didn't know better she'd have thought it was a man.  
  
"Okay I'll just wait." She/he said. It had no intentions of waiting but pretended to go to the waiting room.  
  
As soon as it was out of earshot Lynndy and Terry Lynn got into a heated conversation about her.  
  
"Was it just me or was that girl uglier than shit?" Terry Lynn asked.  
  
"You shouldn't talk about people like that behind their backs." Lynndy shot back.  
  
"Come on you know I'm right." She said with a smile.  
  
"Yeah she was but keep your voice down okay."  
  
Patricia found the list of occupants on an abandoned computer and easily got access to Nick's room number. "Here I came." She whispered.  
  
Amazingly Nick was able to walk with difficulty and was in the bathroom when he heard the door click. He figured it was just a nurse and continued what he was doing. But when he didn't hear anyone after that he became worried.  
  
'Call me paranoid but after being shot I have the right.' He thought.  
  
He edged closer to the door and instinctively held up his toothbrush up like a weapon. It was rather comical him standing there holding up his toothbrush with his puffed out cheeks full of fluoride toothpaste.  
  
"I know you're in here." came the voice.  
  
He knew it wasn't a nurse now.  
  
He decided to show himself it was no good hiding there. He stepped out and to see who he knew as Patrick standing there in a pink flower embroidered dress. The sight made him spew out all the toothpaste in Patricia's face.  
  
"I was going to kill you fast but you just mad me change my mind."  
  
The smile drifted off Nick's face, the situation wasn't funny anymore. "You're the." he trailed off realization striking him hard in the face. Now he remembered why Patrick looked so familiar to him. It was that psycho that he had convicted of setting fire to a hospital and killing the patients there. He should have known right when he found the firebombs it was the same way he had destroyed the hospital. All pain forgotten he lunged at him/her and shoved his toothbrush right up his/her nose.  
  
"AARRRGGGGHHHH!!!" She screamed and doubled over in pain trying to rip the toothbrush out of her nose.  
  
"NURSE!" Nick screamed as the head nurse Lynndy came bursting in she saw Patricia pull out a gun and screamed,  
  
" Anastasia!" who was the officer that had been posted at Nick's door.  
  
Patricia took this opportunity to fling herself out the open window which was conveniently close to her car. She was long gone before police could go after her.  
  
"What's going on?" Terry Lynn asked rushing into the room.  
  
Several people were standing halfway into the hall trying to figure out what was going on; they were deprived of excitement in there everyday job and couldn't help themselves.  
  
"That.that shit ugly women we saw earlier tried to shoot him!" she said pointing at Nick.  
  
The look on her face was classic and upon hearing this the people in the hall inched closer to the door.  
  
Seeing that Nick was about to pass out from the effort of warding off his attacker and screaming his lungs out Lynndy rushed up and helped him onto the bed.  
  
Just then Lorelai came rushing in with Jessica who had both been in the waiting room.  
  
"What happened we heard screaming.", Lorelai asked all flushed in the face.  
  
Interest in the hall was increasing tenfold when people started sprinting past them in attempt to reach the room.  
  
"Lorelai you're here thankgawd." Nick gasped from the bed his Texas accent full fledged in his voice from being so upset. Toothpaste still showed at the rim of his mouth and made him sound even weirder.  
  
"Are you alright?" she ran up and held him in her arms. Even though he was stuttering he managed to recollect what had happened accurately after Jessica had brought some water to wash out his mouth with. Now it was just the two of them sitting there.  
  
"I can't see you anymore." Nick said the loudness of his voice surprising him after the silence.  
  
"What?" Lorelai sat up startled.  
  
"You heard me."  
  
"Why, what are you rambling about?" she asked.  
  
"It's too dangerous if you got hurt I'd never forgive myself." He said sadly.  
  
"Nick I am a part of your life no matter what you do and some psychotic cross dresser is not gonna scare me off." She said this so firmly there was no arguing.  
  
He hoped she was right. 


	8. ch 8

A/N: Here's your chapter I was able to update sooner cause I'm on spring break I might get in another chapter this week. Major thanks to my aunt Lynndy (trace-element) who by the way is working on a new story called On the Road Again which I am co-writing it's a really funny story you have to read it when we start posting. I'll say no more of that but I would like to mention that Lynndy was reading a book where the bad guy used firebombs I swear I'm not copying him I didn't even know such a thing existed. With that said enjoy and thanks for the reviews.  
  
Ch 8  
  
Archie had woken up the day after Sara. He was slightly hurt that no one had come to visit him after he woke up but he had received the news about Grissom, Nick, and Greg.  
  
He was especially concerned Greg who had become his friend over the years. He knew the others would be fine given time but with Greg no one knew. His thoughts where broken by a knock on the door.  
  
"Come in", he said gloomily.  
  
"Hey how ya feeling?" Sara asked walking in the room.  
  
He brightened a little at realizing someone had remembered him through all the chaos.  
  
"Like I have 2nd degree burns on my sides." He replied with a smile.  
  
"Their releasing me tomorrow." She said glad to be able to get out of that hospital.  
  
"Great, promise you'll visit?"  
  
"I swear it." she said laughing.  
  
It felt so good to laugh after what seemed so long.  
  
"How's Nick?" Archie asked having not heard much on his condition since the day before when he had been shot.  
  
"He's fine; he's walking around and everything. They heard a bunch of shouts down the hall.  
  
"I wonder what that's all about." Archie mused. They had been talking awhile when Jessica walked in and filled them in on what had happened in Nick's room.  
  
"Oh my God Patrick?" they both gasped when she told them.  
  
"Wait he was in a dress?" Archie seemed to have just made this connection.  
  
"Yes, it was that James guy that Nick busted his ass to put away remember the one that set fire to that hospital."  
  
"Yeah I remember." Sara said followed by Archie "Me too I had to go over what was left of the security tapes."  
  
Sara was starting to worry this guy was really dangerous. "I'm gonna go get some air." She said and left.  
  
She started toward the exit then changed her mind and turned toward Grissom's room. The doctor had said that he could wake up any time and she really needed him to right now.  
  
"Gil please wake up I need you." She said taking his hand. She might have imagined it but she could have swore his eyelids fluttered.  
  
"Gil can you hear me?" she asked hoping beyond hope that he could.  
  
The doctor had also said that until he woke up he would be in a coma and it could last for years.  
  
He could hear her and he let the voice of the woman he had secretly loved for so long guide him back to life. His eyelids fluttered and opened. Wincing at the light he lightly whispered "Sara?"  
  
"Yes I'm here Gil thank god your awake." She said.  
  
"What happened Sara?"  
  
"You were in a car wreck Gil a lot has happened since then."  
  
"How long have I been unconscious?"  
  
"Couple of days."  
  
"What's happened?"  
  
Sara had to recount the events after the crash to him and fill him in on his condition. He looked as though he wanted to jump out of bed and rush down the hall when heard that Nick had been shot but she assured him that it was alright.  
  
He was shocked to find out that who had made the visit to Nicks room. "And I hired the bastard." He mumbled. "Hey it's not your fault Gil." She said and stroked the side of his face.  
  
He was shocked by this movement and couldn't do anything but stare into her brown eyes for a while. Finally he asked "Why do you keep calling me Gil?"  
  
'Good question' Sara thought to herself before answering "I don't know it just seemed right even though I usually address you as Grissom."  
  
This answer was so formal compared to earlier that he was taken aback. She shifted gears again trying to gain confidence.  
  
"I need to tell you something." She said looking away.  
  
"Yes" he prodded her on.  
  
She looked him in the eyes and said "I love you I'm sorry but I couldn't help it."  
  
If he had let her she would have dashed out of the room right then but he closed his mouth that had hung wide open and stopped her before she reached the door. "Sara wait!" he held up his hand as is to reach her and winced at the pain it brought.  
  
Sara just stood frozen not looking at him but at the tiled floor. "Sara I .I never told anyone this but I .I love you too."  
  
At this she looked at him with her brown eyes shining with the tears threatening to fall.  
  
"Really?" she asked not sure if what he said could possibly be true.  
  
"I love you Sara Sidle and I've always wanted to tell you that but I couldn't."  
  
She wanted to rush up to him and hug him but instead she just sat down and took his hand in hers. When their hands joined without any words both of their doubts washed away and Sara smiled the first genuine smile in days and she fell asleep right there.  
As soon as Catherine and Warrick heard about what happened at the hospital they where going nuts running background checks, going over evidence from James Patrick Collins.  
  
"Look his mother lives right here in town." Catherine said pointing at the screen.  
  
"Think she knows her son is in town?" Warrick said with a mischievous smile.  
  
"You bet. I'll go talk to her." She said about to leave. "Wait aren't you going to take O'Reilly?"  
  
"Nah I can fend for myself I'll be back bout an hour if she's home bye." She stated that last comment halfway through the door.  
  
"Bye." He muttered.  
  
She wasn't even done the hall when her cell phone rang.  
  
"Willows speaking."  
  
"Hey Cath I'm really sorry but I just can't baby sit tonight."  
  
"Aww you sure?"  
  
"Yes. I'll bring her by the lab."  
  
"Alright I'll think of something. Bye."  
  
"Bye." She heard Rachel repeat on the other line before clicking off. She sighed then looked back towards the room she had just left before walking back to it.  
  
"Warrick?"  
  
"Yeah" he said completely absorbed in what was on the computer screen.  
  
"Can I ask you a really big favor?" she asked.  
  
"Sure." He said still not looking up.  
  
"Lindsey's babysitter can't sit tonight is it alright if she stays at the lab with you?" she held her breath.  
  
At this his head snapped up to look at her. "No one else can watch her?" he practically pleaded.  
  
Catherine looked done and uttered a very quiet "No."  
  
He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed "Alright as long as she promises not to touch anything and be quiet."  
  
"You got it!" Catherine said rushing down the hall.  
  
She dialed Rachel's cell and waited for her to pick up.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey Rach can I talk to Lindsey?"  
  
"Sure." She said handing the phone to the blonde girl in the backseat.  
  
"Hello Mommy." She said so cheerfully that Catherine winced.  
  
"Hey Hun Uncle Warrick's gonna watch you for a little while tonight at the lab." This statement caused a loud squeal from the under end of the phone.  
  
"On 2 conditions." She said sternly. "1 do not touch anything at all especially if you don't know what it is. 2 you must be quiet at all times and not bother Warrick with a bunch of questions he's still working alright?"  
  
Lindsey had been listening intently the whole time "Okay Mommy I promise."  
  
"Good you can play a game if it's quiet I think there's some in the break room bye baby."  
  
"Bye Momma." Lindsey said then hung up the phone.  
  
Greg had absolutely no idea how long he had been down there but it felt like an eternity and he was tired of waiting. He had a lighter in his pant pockets but he was going to get to it he couldn't think of.  
  
Having not heard Patrick for awhile he decided it was safe to try. He tried stuffing his bond hands in his pocket but his shoulder disagreed. He didn't know of any other way and thrust his hand in almost screaming with the pain it brought.  
  
He could feel the lighter in his hand and pulled it out. He nearly passed out again but he had done it. He kept running his thumb over the starter but he was wondering if the thing was broken. It finally started and he winced as the heat burn his flesh next to the rope he was trying to get off.  
  
He broke out into a sweat and cried out from the pain but held the lighter steady. At long last the rope came free. His hands were bleeding from the burns and from were the rope had cut into him.  
  
"Damnit" he whispered wiping away the tears that had come while trying to free himself.  
  
'No time to wallow in self pity Greg get a move on' he kicked himself mentally for taking that long he could hear Patrick coming in across the house or whatever it was.  
  
He got up and ran for the door he had seen while bond on the floor. He was out in an alleyway it was pitch dark outside and he hadn't gone but a foot when Patrick grabbed him from behind. They wrestled there for a moment but Greg finally passed out from the pain the fight caused in his shoulder and from his hands.  
  
Warrick was still looking through the case file when Lindsey arrived. She had stopped at the break room to get a game before she came to the room the receptionist had pointed out to her.  
  
"Hey Linds. Take a seat." Warrick said when she walked in.  
  
"Hey Uncle Warrick." Lindsey said in her cheery little girl voice only she possessed.  
  
He was glad Lindsey was happy but with the mood he was in it was absolutely sickening. He smiled but made a grimacing face when he turned.  
  
Lindsey began playing her game and Warrick succeeded in blocking out all the little sounds she made when she was thinking. In the back of his head the part totally devoted to Catherine he wondered if she was having any luck with Mrs. Collins.  
  
Catherine knocked on the Collins residence door and shivered this was one of the worst neighborhoods in town 'perfect for a psychotic sociopath to hide an innocent lab tech' she noted.  
  
The door opened and she flashed her badge to the woman on the other side of the door "Catherine Willows LVPD crime lab are you Mrs. Collins?" she said as though she wanted to be somewhere else.  
  
"Yes is there a problem?"  
  
"No ma'am just need to ask you a couple of questions about your son James."  
  
The woman's face darkened at this and she said "Is this some kind of joke James is on death row waiting to be executed."  
  
She made an attempt to close the door but Catherine wouldn't let her "Ma'am this is no joke your son escaped prison and I need to ask you a few questions I'd be happy to get a warrant if you'd rather."  
  
The woman stopped pushing on the door and reluctantly let Catherine in. "Thank you Mrs. Collins"  
  
"Come on in and sit down." She indicated an empty chair which Catherine took.  
  
They talked about an hour going over some of things she thought might have caused her son to be so troubled and things he had told her before going to prison.  
  
"Thank you for your time Mrs. Collins." Catherine said standing up."  
  
"Oh I'm not Mrs. Collins any more I'm." her sentence was broken when someone started pounding on the door.  
  
"It's my husband you have to leave hurry out the back." She said giving Catherine a shove towards the door in the back of the kitchen.  
  
She exited out onto a dark alleyway. She could hear shouts coming from the woman's living room.  
  
"Whose car is that outside!" she heard the woman cry out in pain and say "it's just one of the neighbors."  
  
Catherine was about to go back in and arrest the man for spousal abuse when a door further down the alley burst open and Greg stumbled out trying to run for it.  
  
Catherine was about to shout over at him when Patrick came out wrestling Greg back towards the door. He had his hand over Greg's mouth to keep him from screaming and he finally passed out from what she guessed was a lack of oxygen.  
  
She didn't want to let Patrick know she was there so she had backed against the wall the woman inside her house all but forgotten.  
  
As soon as he finished dragging Greg back inside she dialed Brasses number "Brass speaking"  
  
"Jim I know where Greg is you have to bring me some backup."  
  
"Alright where are you?"  
  
"I'm in the alley way behind North street downtown hurry."  
  
"Alright but promise me you won't go in there."  
  
"Sure thing Jim." She said hanging up.  
  
He wasn't sure how to take that but he knew he had to hurry before she did something stupid.  
  
Catherine walked up to the door with her gun drawn and slowly pushed it open. She entered a small room with absolutely no accessories and spied Greg in the corner totally unconscious.  
  
She turned her back to the front entrance and was about to lean down to help Greg but she felt something heavy smash into her head and all she could see was blackness. 


	9. Ch 9

A/N:I'm sorry that like every chapter takes a long time to write now but I was out of town last week and now access to the internet sorry (. I swear I separated the scenes on the last chapter it just didn't show up so I'm trying a different approach this time. Thank you for all the reviews even the negative ones which amount to 1 I'm glad you spoke your mind I did say at the beginning that I wouldn't be offended so I'm going to stick to my word. Okay I'm done babbling enjoy!  
  
Ch 9  
  
When Catherine opened her eyes her vision was kinda fuzzy and it took her a minute to remember what had happened. She could tell she was in a completely different place where she had been attacked. Apparently he had switched hideouts before Brass could show up.  
  
'Of course he knew I would have called in backup' she said mentally kicking herself for not waiting. 'Damnit I should have known better'.  
  
She looked around and at first saw no sign of Greg but her eyes quickly adjusted to the dark and she spied him sitting up against the corner. He wasn't moving meaning one of three things: 1 he was asleep, 2 he was unconscious, or 3 he was dead. She hoped it was one of the first two.  
  
Suddenly she realized she wasn't tied up but her joy filtered away when she realized there was some sort of iron looking bracelet on her wrist. She knew what it was for it was obvious.  
  
'At least I can check on Greg' she thought crawling over to him. Her head hurt so bad she wondered if she had a minor concussion. She reached Greg and was very surprised to see him awake.  
  
"Catherine what are you doing here?" apparently he had only just woken up.  
  
"Shhhh, do you know where we are?" she asked looking around but failing miserably to recognize anything.  
  
"No you?"  
  
"Nope" she replied back.  
  
"How did you end up here?" he asked and she noticed he hadn't moved since they had been talking.  
  
"I saw you in the alleyway I called back up but I doubt it'll do any good now. Can you move?" she asked lightly pulling him up into a more comfortable position.  
  
"Yeah but I'd rather not it hurts." He said giving a slight grin in her direction.  
  
"How's your arm?"  
  
"How'd you know about that?" he said surprised.  
  
"Long story just answer the question." She said getting alittle impatient.  
  
"It hurts that's all I can tell you sorry."  
  
"Don't be it's not your fault. You saved Nick's life you know." She said smiling.  
  
"Lot of good it will do now he'll just go back and finish where he left off." He said gloomily.  
  
"I was trying to get away to warn you guys, to tell you who it was."  
  
"We already know Greg it's okay."  
  
"Are you hurt any where else I saw that fight you got into with Patrick." He seemed so different from his cheery annoy the hell out of you self.  
  
"Well not from the fight if you wanna call it that but I did burn my hands getting out of the ropes." He held up his hands for her to see.  
  
"Damn Greg that looks bad." She said wincing at all of the blood from the cuts and burns.  
  
"I guess I did it for nothing." He said and she could tell by his voice that he was giving up.  
  
"I don't believe that Greg. Everyone has been really worried and now at least they know your okay."  
  
"You wouldn't be here if I had just stayed put."  
  
"That was totally my fault so just stop it." she said getting up.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"See if I can find some water for your hands I thought I saw a sink somewhere." She started walking around until she bumped into the sink.  
  
'Must be some old kitchen or something.' She thought to herself. If it was no one had used it in a really long; time the place looked molded and roaches where crawling all over. She couldn't help but think that Grissom would feel very welcomed here.  
  
She dug around in her jacket pockets looking for one of the Petri dish type things she used to collect evidence. Once she had filled it with water she walked back over to Greg.  
  
"Let me see your hands." She said waiting arm extended.  
  
"That water is probably contaminated with all kinds of germs and things it's inevitable in a dump like this."  
  
"Greg just give me your hand it'll be worse if you don't get it washed off."  
  
"Like that stuff won't make it worse." He said looking alittle bit more like his six year old self now that he had something to argue about.  
  
"Greg if you don't give me your hands right now you won't have any hands when I'm through!" she said this menacingly but she wasn't yelling.  
  
He knew he'd never win so he held up his hands for her saying "Alright you don't have to get violent."  
  
She began to gently poor the water over his hands while he whined about bacteria and germs and how the water hurt like hell.  
  
"Greg just shut up." She said when she came back about the fourth time with more water.  
  
His hands finally looked as though almost all the blood had been washed away and she sat down next to him exhausted from hearing him complain the whole time and rolled her eyes heaven ward.  
  
After a couple of minutes of well deserved silence Greg asked "How's Jessica?  
  
Something that had been plaguing him since his abduction.  
  
"Worried sick but she's fine. She's probably a lot better since that call I made to Brass."  
  
"Yeah I hope so" he said a kind of far off look in his eyes.  
  
Just then her cell phone started ringing.  
  
"You have your cell phone?!"  
  
"I forgot about it!" she said desperately digging in her pocket.  
  
She finally found it "Hello?" "Warrick I'm here with Greg but." She was cut off when the door swung open and Patrick ripped the phone out of her hands.  
  
He'd changed since the incident at the hospital and was in men's attire. Apparently he had heard the phone ringing.  
  
"Warrick it's a good thing you called I didn't think to check her for a phone." He sneered and clicked it off.  
  
~*~ An hour earlier  
  
Lindsey had been quiet for the first twenty minutes before she started getting bored and asking a thousand questions even though she promised not to.  
  
Warrick couldn't fathom where she came up with some of them but he knew it was driving him insane.  
  
"Lindsey you know I love you right?" he asked putting his hands on her shoulders.  
  
"Yes" she said momentarily still.  
  
"Okay do you understand why I need you to be quiet?"  
  
"Yes but."  
  
"Ahh no buts" he said putting his finger up to her lips. "I'm in the middle of a really important case now if I take my finger away are you going to be quiet?" he slowly began to remove his finger but quickly placed it there again when she immediately opened her mouth to speak.  
  
"No don't answer just go sit down or something anything that's quiet and doesn't involve leaving this room."  
  
He pulled his finger away; she nodded and sat back down to her game.  
  
She kept her word for a long time and by then she was so tired she just fell asleep.  
  
It was over an hour since Catherine left and he decided to call her on her cell. He was about to hang up when she answered urgency imprinted on every sound wave of her voice.  
  
"Catherine where are you?" she was in the middle of her reply when she went silent and a male voice replaced hers.  
  
He listened to the dial tone for a moment before clicking off the phone.  
  
This clearly meant that she was captive along with Greg now. He looked over at Lindsey. She was sleeping there so peacefully she had no idea what had happened. He'd have to tell her but not yet.  
  
He looked down the hall which was still being repaired from the fire but the only person he saw was Hodges. He knew Catherine wouldn't be happy if she knew he'd left Lindsey alone with Hodges of all people but wasn't left a whole lot of choice.  
  
"Hodges I need you to do me a big favor but it's important."  
  
"What now?" he asked in his exasperated I feel so used tone.  
  
Warrick wanted to tell him to stuff it but knew he'd never stay if he did.  
  
"See that little girl in there?" he indicated Lindsey's sleeping form.  
  
"Yeah" he said cautiously.  
  
"I just found out that Catherine is being held hostage and that's her little girl in there. I'm babysitting her but I have to go talk to Brass, I need you to watch her for a little while."  
  
"But I. I don't do well with kids."  
  
"She's asleep how hard can it be? Please Hodges this is really important."  
  
"Fine but you owe me big time" he sighed walking in and plopping down in Warrick's chair.  
  
"Don't let her out of your sight." he said before running down the hall to find Brass.  
  
He gave up and dialed his cell number.  
  
"Brass speaking."  
  
"I talked to Catherine Patrick has her" he said totally out of breath.  
  
"Shit. Just calm down she called earlier saying she knew where Greg was I told her not to go in I guess she didn't listen."  
  
"Where are you?"  
  
"I'm in an alley way behind North Street we were about to send in SWAT when you called."  
  
"I'm on my way." He clicked off half way to his car.  
  
Brass came up to meet him when he got there.  
  
Warrick rolled down his window so Brass could talk to him.  
  
"We stormed the place from both entrances but he already left with them. The scenes all yours." He said waving his hand towards the open door.  
  
"Wait a minute this is right next to where Patrick's or should I say James mother lives. Cath was down here interviewing her." Warrick shook his head.  
  
"I'll send in O'Reilly while you process."  
  
"Alright" he said getting out of his car and walking into the room where Greg had been held captive for days.  
  
He looked around to get his bearings and noticed the lighter surrounded by a small pool of blood and some ropes. No doubt from Greg trying to get away. 'Guess it didn't work' he thought to himself remembering Catherine had said she was with Greg.  
  
He noticed an even smaller pool of blood close to a corner not far from the lighter. He collected samples of the blood and labeled them according to which puddle it came from.  
  
He bagged the lighter and ropes then thought 'where is her purse surely Patrick didn't want it'.  
  
He went back out the alley way shining his flash light around until the beams landed on her purse laying on it's side contents halfway spilled out. 'She must have seen Greg dropped her purse then followed into the room where she was apprehended by Patrick and taken to the new hideout. But if Greg tried to escape why is he still with Catherine and Patrick? Unless Greg was stopped and that's why she followed in. Brass did say she had seen Greg didn't he?' His thoughts where interrupted by O'Reilly reporting that the mother hadn't seen Catherine since she kicked her out the back door when her husband came home.  
  
"Well that's what she said I think we should take her in for more questioning."  
  
"Alright she's with Brass should we bring in the husband too?"  
  
"Yeah" Warrick replied bending down to bag the purse he knew it wouldn't tell him anything since she dropped it before the encounter with Patrick but anything found at the scene was evidence.  
  
He got in his Tahoe and started back towards the lab he was in deep thought about Catherine and was surprised when he arrived at the lab. He hadn't even been aware of driving there.  
  
He dropped off the blood and things with Greg's temporary replacement and headed back to where he had left Lindsey and Hodges.  
  
He hoped she hadn't woken up yet but he hadn't heard of any nuclear explosions from Hodges so far.  
  
He cracked open the door to see them sitting across from each other while Hodges was giving a very scientific definition to something she had asked.  
  
She didn't seem to understand it so she interrupted him with another question. "Do dustpan lines ever really go away?" she asked totally serious.  
  
He paused for a split second then started explaining "You see the dust particles cling to the ground and dustpan by means of gravitational force and some get pushed underneath the dustpan and even if you get it to where you can't see the line any more there are tiny microscopic particles of traces of dirt which."  
  
"Does it go away?" she interrupted the conversation going slightly over her head.  
  
"No"  
  
Warrick thought they seemed to be having fun so he quietly closed the door and went to do some more research on James Collins. All he wanted was to find Catherine but he knew this was going to have to be the first step.  
  
~*~  
  
Sara felt this strange warmth beside her. Once again she knew it wasn't her bedroom she wasn't in her bed at home and half of her was wrapped in something warm.  
  
Her eyelids fluttered open and she drank in the sight of the hospital room. Grissom's hospital room. What the hell? So that was what had felt so warm.  
  
Why was she lying in Grissom's hospital bed with Grissom?  
  
Oh yeah he loves me she thought and smiled remembering they're earlier confessions.  
  
"Sara?" he asked stirring.  
  
"Yeah Gil?"  
  
"Why do you always answer my questions with questions?"  
  
Smiling she said "why do you answer my questions with questions?"  
  
She turned to face him and he ran his finger down her jaw line. "Do you want some breakfast?" she asked breaking the comfortable silence.  
  
"Sure why not."  
  
She got up saying "Here we go with the questions again."  
  
She was standing in line at McDonalds while the stupid cashier guy asked for the millionth time if she wanted dressing on her salad.  
  
"NO!" she yelled right before her cellphone started ringing.  
  
"Excuse me a moment. Hello?"  
  
"Hey Sara I heard you got out of the hospital today." It was Warrick.  
  
"Yeah I did why?"  
  
"Sara I gotta tell you something Cath she-" he sighed "Cath was taken by Patrick."  
  
"What oh my God I don't believe this how?"  
  
"I'll give you the details later but I can tell you that Greg is okay and I'm the only person left here. I'm gonna call in some people from dayshift like Adam and maybe Lorelai but I'm still gonna need you if you feel up to it."  
  
"Yeah I'm on my way." She hung up and was about to push open the door when the stupid cashier called after her.  
  
He handed her, her salad which was saturated in dressing. She just handed it back to him and walked out.  
  
She stopped by Grissom's room on the way "Hey Gil no time for food I'm in a hurry Patrick has Catherine and Warrick needs me at the lab."  
  
She was half way out the door when she poked her head in and said "by the way Greg's alright." She said and walked out leaving him with his mouth hanging open in the empty room.  
  
She made a quick pit stop by Archie's room knowing he would want to know how Greg was then she was in her car on her way to observe the evidence and lock up the bad guys. That was her job. 


	10. This Settles It

Hey with all these wonderful reviews telling me to continue as I first planned how can I refuse. I've never had that many review alerts in my mailbox at one time and I couldn't help but smile while reading them I had no idea that many people liked my story. I promise to post CH 10 by the end of the weekend cause I'll be at my aunt Lynndy's house (Trace-Element) which makes it way easier to write. if I don't post by then I give you all official permission to come after me with torches and pitchforks. (JK) I've had alot of you apologizing not reviewing but it's totally not you're fault I don't really review anyone's stories that much either except Lynndy's of course so don't fret. Only four weeks of school left and I'll be able to post sooner between chapters. *Smiles* Thanks Again. 


	11. Ch 10

Ch 10  
  
"Okay Adam you're gonna stay here with John and process the evidence I found in that room. Maria you can go back and look for any kind of evidence that I might have missed take a guard with you no arguments. Sara you're gonna come with me to question Patrick's Mom and step dad." Warrick had requested help from the dayshift since there were only two nightshift people left able to work.  
  
Lorelai ran up two Warrick right as everyone was just about to go about their different assignments.  
  
"Why aren't I on this case?" she asked out of breath, there was a hint of anger in her voice.  
  
"Because you're to personally involved it would hurt the case." He replied in a soothing voice apparently trying to calm her down.  
  
"Like you aren't personally involved! And Sara for that matter!" she started yelling.  
  
"Look if you promise me no swear to me that you won't do anything with this case that you wouldn't do for any other and I'll let you on it."  
  
"I swear and you won't regret it." she said gratitude replacing the anger in her voice.  
  
"Alright go catch up with Maria and look over that scene."  
  
"Thank you so much." She said walking out the door.  
  
She didn't have to walk very far to catch up with Maria because they had all been listening in their conversation with their ears up to the door.  
  
When Lorelai opened the door she hit every single one of them in the head. She took no notice to this however and nodded for Maria to come with her.  
  
~*~  
  
It was a Saturday and they couldn't find a single soul to watch Lindsey.  
  
Hodges pretended to sulk and be unhappy about having to watch the little girl the whole time but he really liked having some one around who was fascinated by everything he told her as long as he didn't go to deep into detail.  
  
Warrick walked in the room where Hodges and Lindsey where sitting playing chess.  
  
"Checkmate I win" came Lindsey voice as she stood up to stretch.  
  
"I never did like this game." Hodges said standing up also.  
  
"Oh hi Warrick do you wanna play?" she asked giving her innocent you cant say no to me I'm to cute face.  
  
"No sweetie but I need to talk to you about something." He answered and Hodges took his cue to leave for awhile.  
  
"I'm gonna go get some drinks I'll be right back. He passed Sara in the hallway she was waiting on Warrick so they could go interrogate the witnesses. She didn't seem to notice anyone had entered the hall.  
  
"Lindsey why don't you come sit down with me." Warrick was saying.  
  
"Are you going to tell me why Mommy hasn't come for me?" she asked.  
  
Sometimes she's just to smart for her own good he thought. "Yes, you see an inmate who disliked one of the people here very much escaped a few weeks ago." He started.  
  
"That's the important case you've been working on right?"  
  
"Yes and this inmate he kidnapped one of the workers here." He started again.  
  
"It was Greg right I heard you talking about it in the hall."  
  
"Yes and you're Mom found out where Greg was being kept. She tried to save him but the man that escaped from prison kidnapped her too. That's why she hasn't come for you." Warrick finished softly.  
  
"But you're gonna find her right?" she asked looking up at him a slight waver in her voice.  
  
"Come here." He said and she curled up in his arms softly crying. "I will do everything humanly possible to find her. You can count on me."  
  
When she had finished crying he wiped away the tears still running down her face.  
  
"Now I've gotta go work on finding you're Mom." He kissed her on the forehead and left.  
  
No sooner had he come out the door David came running up to him and Sara. He was panting horribly and they could hardly make out what he was saying "I know- I know where- Patrick is- hiding," he wheezed out.  
  
"What!" both Sara and Warrick yelled at the same time.  
  
"He told me when he came to work here that he rented an apartment across the street!" he said clutching a stitch at his side.  
  
"We've gotta find Brass David stay here with Lindsey until Hodges gets back." Warrick said and they both sprinted off to find Brass.  
  
When Warrick had come out of the room no one had noticed that he hadn't shut the door properly. But Lindsey did, she heard every word uttered between them. She wasn't going to sit here when her mother was right across the street. She knew Warrick would find her but she wanted to see her now. So while they where still talking she slipped out into the hall right past them.  
  
David sighed and walked into the room where Lindsey was supposed to be waiting patiently. But she wasn't waiting there patiently. She wasn't there at all.  
  
He started to panic 'oh my god I've lost her' he thought looking everywhere around the room a little girl could hide. He passed the window and did one of those double takes cartoon characters always did. She was outside crossing the street! She must have overheard his conversation with Warrick and Sara!  
  
He ran down the hall faster than any track runner could. He stopped at the elevators but they were taking to damn long so he sprinted down the stairs. Finally he was out side. But he didn't see her any where.  
  
She must already be in the building! The sign said "Don't Walk" but he didn't care he weaved through the traffic almost getting hit a thousand or more times. Horns were honking all down the street.  
  
He ran in the building just in time to see the elevator doors closing with her inside. 'oh great stairs again' and once again he took off running up the stairs almost knocking over someone bringing down their laundry.  
  
He got to the top of the stairs and saw to his amazement Lindsey picking the lock. In a total of two seconds she had it open and was walking in. His mind reeled and he sprinted after her. He made it to the door just before it closed 'oh thank god' he thought having a hard time breathing.  
  
~*~  
  
Lindsey walked into the apartment that the man at the desk said belonged to Patrick Collins.  
  
She could hear muffled voices and thought that it must be her mom and Greg talking, calling for help she couldn't tell which.  
  
This was by far the nastiest apartment she had ever been in, there where roaches and rats and not a stitch of furniture. She walked around the room trying to follow the voices. She opened the closet door to find it empty but the voices were so much louder here.  
  
She kicked the wall in frustration and I creaked opened just like in Nick's house. She heard someone come into the room and ran in through the door in the closet.  
  
There was her Mom sitting against the wall next to Greg both staring blankly at her. Catherine seemed to break out of her trance and she jumped up and ran to her pulling her into the biggest hug ever.  
  
"Mommy I know I shouldn't have come but I wanted to see you so bad."  
  
"Lindsey honey I love you so much how did you get here?" Catherine asked  
  
"I walked it's right across the street from the lab." She answered.  
  
"Lindsey you have to back right now." Just then David walked in.  
  
"Catherine, Greg, Lindsey!" he panted.  
  
"Come on we have to go, Warrick and Sara went to find Brass they'll be here soon."  
  
"So long as I'm here I might as well get you out with me." he smiled.  
  
"But David look at these on our wrist we can't go." Catherine said showing him her iron bracelet.  
  
He grabbed her wrist, muttered something, and pulled a small metal rod out of his pocket. He turned her hand over 'a ha' he thought and stuck the rod into a small hole that Catherine hadn't seen.  
  
The bracelet clicked open and fell to the floor. She just stared at him and he went and did the same with Greg's Bracelet.  
  
"All right now help me left him he's hurt." Catherine ran over and together they got him in a standing position.  
  
"I feel like a rag doll." Greg said as they half carried him through the door.  
  
With some difficulty they managed to help him hobble out the closet door with Lindsey trailing behind like a little puppy.  
  
They were getting closer to the door. Almost there. Then none other then Patrick himself came in holding a gun.  
  
He wasn't surprised to see them out or to see David and Lindsey.  
  
"The cops are outside. I came up here to finish you off before they get here. I don't care anymore if I'm caught now but I had to finish this make Nick as miserable as possible knowing that you all died because of him." He had this mad glint in his eyes and they all knew his sanity had finally tipped over the edge completely.  
  
"So who wants to go first? I could pop off the little girl first if you'd like." he said twirling one of Lindsey's curls with the end of his gun.  
  
She whimpered.  
  
"What's that you say little girl you want to go first? Okay always happy to do a lady's will." He said stepping back and pulling the trigger.  
  
~*~  
  
The apartment building was surrounded by patrol cars. Warrick Sara and Brass waited for the signal to go in.  
  
They didn't have to wait because all of the sudden they heard a shot fired and people inside the building were screaming.  
  
No one waited for orders SWAT swarmed in followed By Sara, Warrick, and Brass.  
  
Within no time they were up the stairs and watched as two of the SWAT men kicked open the door. When they entered Catherine was sitting in a corner holding Lindsey, Greg and David where laying on the floor a pool of blood forming underneath David.  
  
Greg appeared to be unconscious but the paramedic felt for David's pulse and shook his head no. David had taken the bullet for Lindsey jumped in front of her just in time. The effort killed him he had known it would. It felt like slow motion had taken effect from the time Patrick pulled the trigger to the time David fell to the floor.  
  
He told Lindsey just before he died that it wasn't her fault.  
  
When Patrick saw SWAT coming up he threw down the gun and tried to run for it but Catherine wasn't going to let him. She picked up the gun followed him and shot him in the head as he climbed down the fire escape.  
  
He fell to the Ground with a loud thud. Then she had walked back to were Lindsey was and held her nothing she said would make anything better so she just held her.  
  
"Catherine, Lindsey are you okay?" Warrick's voice brought her back from her flashback. She just looked at him as the paramedics carried Greg out on a stretcher. He kissed her on the lips and then let the paramedics do their job. Lindsey appeared unhurt physically but Catherine had suffered a minor concussion and Greg was in pretty bad shape but would be fine. Time heals all wounds right?  
  
A/N: Yes I'm going to right an epilogue. I had planned on a few more chapters but I came up with the Lindsey idea and ran with it and well this is where it ended up. Thank you for all of your reviews and E-mails I couldn't have done this without them. After the Epilogue I'll be posting the names of all the people who reviewed and emailed me about my story. A little something I'm copying from my aunt trace-element I'm sure she doesn't mind by the way thanks Lynndy for helping look up weird disorders and stuff for Patrick and all the other help you gave me. 


	12. Ch 11

A/N: Thanks for all of your support I really appreciate it. I know it's sad but I must bring this story to a close *sniffle* I will miss all of your reviews and I will miss having this story to write but it's been fun. I have to admit though it's a relief being finished I don't have to worry about letting anyone down by not posting or finishing anymore. This chapter is in Greg's POV.  
  
Epilogue  
  
~*~12 Years Later~*~  
  
Looking back on it all, when James Patrick Collins had interrupted our lives it felt like a really long nightmare. After awhile everyone was okay physically but not everyone was emotionally.  
  
For Sara it had only been a fire that she was injured in and the man she loved had been in a car accident. In fact it was probably the best thing that could have happened in their relationship. She knew it had affected her friends a lot more and that bothered her but that was all.  
  
For Grissom it was the same but he would never forget the look on Nick's face when he read the note that Patrick had left. They had been happily married for a long time now. They had their ups and downs I mean were talking about Sara and Grissom what do you expect? But they always come through in the end. It seemed like everyone got married over the years.  
  
Catherine and Warrick had just celebrated their granddaughter Fionna's 2nd birthday, Lindsey and her husband Andrew's child. We often call Fionna Fi.  
  
Nick and Lorelai had a daughter the year that they were married. After much debate they decided over a name: Anastasia. That was 9 years ago. It was ironic though Nick and Lorelai had a double wedding with me and Jessica and we had a son, Adam the same age as Anastasia. You can hardly separate them they have always been the best of friends. We like to joke that if they ever got together we would be related. Lorelai's description of 'scary' pretty much sums up what that would be like.  
  
Everyone wasn't always this happy Patrick had left a large imprint on our lives and it was hard for awhile.  
  
Catherine to this very day remembers watching Patrick fall to pavement after shooting him. She will never forget the ringing in her ears and the sobs Lindsey emitted while she held her. It was hard on Warrick watching her and Lindsey in pain. It took a long time for Lindsey to except the fact that someone had died because of her but she remembered what David had said to her and she prevailed. I once thought that perhaps Lindsey or Nick had been affected most by the whole thing but I realize now that I was wrong it affected poor David the most because he was no longer there.  
  
Archie fell in love with his nurse, Lynndy at the hospital when he had been in the fire and was going to ask her to marry him tonight. This will be the first time I've been first man at a wedding, Nick was Warrick's best man and vice versa.  
  
Nick said I had missed the position by an inch and he had a hard time choosing between us so that's okay. I've always believed that everything happens for a reason but sitting here next to the woman I love with all my best friends by my side, watching my son run around the yard with Anastasia and Fi my heart swells and I haven't a doubt that things really do happen for a reason. I don't know why David died or what would different if he hadn't but I know that no matter where you or what's happening god has a reason.  
  
*I'm glad I didn't know the way it all would end the way it all would go our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain but I've of had to miss the dance.* -Line from The Dance by Garth Brooks 


End file.
